Orchard Way Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Orchard Way Primary School Orchard Way, Shirley, Croydon, Surrey CR0 7NJ

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 January 2025

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Outcome

Orchard Way Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Andrew May. This school is part of the South Orpington Learning Alliance (SOLA), which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by an interim chief executive officer, Terry Millar, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Robert Sampson. There is also an executive headteacher, Harry Hope, who is responsible for this and six other schools.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils really enjoy attending this warm and friendly school. They settle quickly in the early years and develop strong relationships with staff. As a result, pupils trust the adults around them to help whenever they face concerns or worries. This supportive environment ensures that pupils feel secure and confident as part of the school community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for what they want pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to achieve. Pupils try hard in lessons. They typically produce work of good quality and pupils mostly achieve well in English and mathematics. However, the curriculum in some other subjects is not as well established. This means pupils do not secure as deep a knowledge and understanding as they should.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides strong pastoral care to pupils, including a wide range of support for their emotional well-being. For example, pupils can benefit from animal therapy or receive support at lunchtime from ‘playground friends’. They also learn how to understand and regulate their emotions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers praise the real sense of community and know that their children are well cared for and enjoy their learning. Many parents commented positively about the school. 21 and 22 January 2025

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Reading is a big priority in the school. Pupils learn phonics from the start of Reception. The are quickly able to sound out and blend words. The books that they read at home match the sounds they are learning in class. Pupils who struggle with their reading are supported well to catch up. High-quality training helps staff to deliver the programme consistently well. The focus on reading continues as pupils move through the school. Older pupils learn to analyse the texts they read in a structured and focused way. Pupils enjoy reading.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has created a broad and ambitious curriculum for pupils. In most subjects, the knowledge is carefully chosen and thoughtfully sequenced. For example, in science, children in Reception conduct scientific investigations into the different birds that visit the school field. In art, pupils in Year 2 learn to create collagraphs using natural objects based on the work of William Morris, while pupils in Year 5 progress to more sophisticated printmaking. However, in some subjects, pupils’ learning is not as secure. This is because the curriculum is not organised or structured in a way which helps pupils to retrieve and review their learning well. As a result, some pupils do not know more and remember more over time.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Typically, the curriculum is taught well. Teachers present information clearly and design activities in lessons well. The school identifies pupils with SEND quickly. They receive effective support in lessons to enable them to access the curriculum successfully. However, on occasion, teachers do not check what pupils know and can do carefully enough. As a result, pupils sometimes develop misconceptions in their learning. This makes it harder when they move onto new learning.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They are kind and considerate to staff and each other. Pupils in the early years learn to follow routines and listen to instructions. They cooperate well, take turns and focus on their learning. Pupils who struggle with their behaviour are supported well by the school. Pupils’ attendance is a high priority in the school. The school monitors absences carefully. It works closely with families to ensure that all pupils attend school as much as possible.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has created a well-designed programme of learning to support pupils to become healthy, safe and successful citizens. Pupils learn about financial budgeting and future career options. They also learn how to develop positive relationships with others. For example, in early years they learn about turn-taking and cooperating with others. In Years 1 and 2 they learn about how to be a good friend. In the older years they learn about conflict resolution and consent. Pupils participate enthusiastically in the after-school clubs’ programme. This includes sewing, computing, multisports and dance. They also benefit from trips, events and visitors to the school. Pupils in Year 5 spend a week at a local private school deepening their wider learning and cultural knowledge. The school is in the early stages of developing more opportunities for pupils to take up positions of responsibility and leadership.

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The school collaborates well with trust leaders and governors. Staff are very proud to work at the school. They appreciate the concern of leaders at all levels for their well-being and workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasion, teachers do not check pupils’ understanding carefully enough. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their learning and develop misconceptions. The school should ensure that teachers check pupils’ learning systematically and respond to any gaps or misconceptions swiftly so that pupils achieve well in all subjects.  In some subjects, the way that the curriculum is organised does not support pupils to know more and remember more by embedding learning in their long-term memory. As a result, pupils do not build up a secure foundation of knowledge in these subjects over time leading to gaps in their learning. The school should ensure that the curriculum is structured and sequenced in such a way as to enable pupils to review and retrieve their knowledge over time and embed key learning in their long-term memory.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Orchard Way Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in May 2014. 21 and 22 January 2025

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school's pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 21 and 22 January 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection 19 June 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The current headteacher started at the school in September 2024.  The school operates breakfast and after-school clubs on site.  The school does not currently use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher, members of the school senior leadership team, a selection of subject leaders, teachers and support staff. 21 and 22 January 2025

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 The inspector also met with the chair of trustees, the interim chief executive officer, the executive headteacher, as well as the chair of the governing body.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning, looked at samples of pupils’ work and met with some staff.  The inspector scrutinised a wide range of documents, including those related to pupils’ wider development, behaviour and attendance. They also observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, around school and during breaktime.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils, and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector considered the views of parents submitted via Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for

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Inspection team

Christian Hicks, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 21 and 22 January 2025

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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